Air lift



Aug.26. 1924.

W. l. BETTIS 'AIR LIFT Filed Jan'. 25. 192s /omje A www gri Patentedgetuigt, 2555, @324 stare WILLEAM BE'TXS, 0F LGS ANGELES, CLFORNIA.

A1B. LEFT.

Application filed January 25, 15523. Serial No. 614,760.

To all fio/"tom t may concern.'

Be it known that L WILLIAM i. Burris, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county' of Los Angeles and State oflCalifornia', have invented new and useful. improvements in ir Lifts, ofwhich the following is a specification.

.This invention relates to water lifting apparatus Yand moreparticuiarly to socalied air lifts.

in the ordinary systems of lifting water by the discharge oiljets of airthereinto at a suitabie depth, the air is discharged substantialiycontinuously in a number of streams with the result that the air of eachstream tends to coalesce or merge into a large bubicie. l

it is the broad object of my present invention to provide a method `forthe air lifting of water wherein a large number ot `iets of air are eachinterinittentiy discharged into the column of water. in other wordsi themethod consists of intermittentiy break ing discharging streams of waterinto great number of small discharged voiuines so that each ci thedischarged voiunies of air may remain independent. of the other and thusmaterially reduce 'the tendency o' the air to ascend in a comparativeiylarge bubbie9 as is comm-on in air iiit apparatus in which the isdischarged through a jet outiet which is continuouslyY open.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus fordischarginw a considerable number yot jets int it broken into shortperiods orP discharge.

'iti further object is to provide a mechanism inciuding a fixed valvemember a relativeiy naovabie valve member whereby the air is dischargedby the intermittent opening and closing of outiets in the valve. Anotherobject is to provide an air discharge apparatus tor air iipts whereinmeans are utilized that is adapted to be operate by the air dischargefrom 'the paratus l actuatii the interniittentiy discharging valveineens.

@ther objects and advantages will be made manifest in 'oliowingspeciiica tion of embodiment or' the invention iiiustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein.-u

Figzure 'i is a vertical section and partial side eievation of a ot theapparatus section of 'the column or water hc charge nozzle for impingingstreams of air upon a contiguous tanor driving wheel.

Fig. 3 is a plan of a form of rotary valve inernber.

The presentl invention is disclosed as for use in an air lift whereinacolumn of water W is contained in a weil casing or other structure 2,downwardly into which is einy tended an air pipe 3 leadingto the upperportion of the well to be supplied with compressed air from a suitablesource.

Upon the lower end of the air pipe 3 there is secured, in the presentforni of iiqueiy symmetricaiiy so as to discharge jets oit air withiinpeiling action upon the contiguous biades oa water wheel or' driveri() which runs ciose under the plate 9 and is secured on. an uprigl lii, mhe upper end of trie spindie is supported7 as for instance in theiower face of the plate 8? and' in the lower end is supported inantitriction bearings i2 in the bottom of the air receiver et,

rthe tired discharge vaive nieniber orbonnet 6, as shown, is oi circularform and extends well beyond the pipe Sand leaves an ampie clearancespace between the inner surface of the water casing 2 its own perimeterfor the upward tiow of water.

I'Operatively fitting upwardiy against lower inner face of 'thedischarge bonnet 6 is a rotary valve member illwhich is provided withdischarge rtures load to be registered during the rotation oi valve.inernber le with the numerous discharge ai ertares 6 of the outietbonnet 5 The distribution otn 'the respective apertures in the two voiremembers is such as to moet eticien'tiy se and disseminate thecuscharglng bubbles of air in a niost manner generaiiy throughout the t1t snaft or spindle ted' the ln the `present case the valve member 14 isoperated byl the shaft 11 to which it is secured; in this instance thevalve mem-- ber 14 being formed as a part of the driving wheel 10. y

Frornthe above it Will be seen that upon relative movement of the twovalve members 6 and 14, small jets of air will be inter mittentlydischarged from the chamber 4 upwardly into the column of Water in theWater casing 2, and by reasonot the intermittent discharge numerableindependent bubbles'ivill be caused to form in and rise in and with thecolumn of water. The forma tion of these bubbles by interruption of thedischarging streams materially increases the efficiency of the vair littapparatus by the elimination of large coalesced Volumes ot air, which iscommon in apparatus discharging continuous streams of jets of air intothe Water column.

It is to be clearly understood that any suitable form ot valve and anysuitable formv o1" operating mechanism may be employed,

the gist ot' the present invention residing in a method andy in anapparatus for discharging relatively small independent jets or bubblesot air into a column of water and which may be accomplished by the rapidopening and closing of valve means controlling the passage of air from asource ot supply into the Water.

lt is to be understood that While reference is made in thisspecification to Water as the material to be acted upon, the apparatusmay be equally as serviceable with various other vliquids and especiallyfor use in oil wells.

Further embodiments, modifications and variations may be resorted toWithin the spirit of the invention as here claimed.

What is claimed is: l

1. Air lilt apparatus comprising an automatic valvular means forintermittently discharging small independent volumes of air into'theliquid to be lifted.

Q. An air litt apparatus comprising subA mersible valvular meanshaving'a distributing head whereby air is dischargeable in isolated sctsin intermittent periods into liquid to be elevated.

3. An .air litt apparatus comprising means whereby air bubbles aredischarged intermittently into the Water to be acted upon, said meansincluding valve elements open able to discharge air in intermittentjets.

able to discharge air in numerous intermittent jets.

5. An air lift apparatus comprising means whereby air bubbles aredischarged intermittently into the Water to be acted upon,

said means including valve elements operable to discharge airconcurrently in intermittent jets.

6. Air lift apparatus comprising means whereby very minute air bubblesare discharged intermittently into the water 'to be acted upon, saidmeans including valve eleM ments operable to discharge air inintermittent jets.

7. Air litt apparatus comprising means whereby very minute air bubblesare discharged intermittently into the Water to be acted upon, saidmeans including valve elements operable to discharge air concurrently innumerous intermittent jets.

8. A foot piece for an air lift, comprising a stationary valve memberhaving an orifice and a movable valve member having an orifice, theorifice in said movable member passing transversely across the oriticein said stationary member.

9. A foot piece tor an air lift, .comprising an outer valve memberhaving an orifice and an inner valve member having an orice, saidoritices of the inner and outer members being adapted to move acrosseach other.

10. A foot piece for an air litt, comprising an outer stationary valvemember havingan orifice, and an inner rotary valve member having anorifice, and means for rotating said rotary valve member to move theorifice ot the rotary valve member across the orifice of the stationarymember.

11. A toot piece for an air litt, comprising a stationary valve memberhaving a series or" orifices, and a movable valvemember having a seriesof orifices, the orifices ot' said movable valve member being adapted topass transversely across the orifices ot the stationary valve member,and means tor rotating said movable valve member across the face ot thestationary valve member.

In testimony Whereor1 l have signed my name to this specification.

"vi/mamar' i. enorm

